WELCOMING AND AFFIRMING
Nurture Each Other in Faith
We are a Welcoming and Affirming Church!!
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people
are warmly welcomed at Lake Avenue Baptist Church!
A Baptist Church that welcomes gay and lesbian
people and affirms them as children of God? YES! It
may not fit your stereotype or your past experience,
but it’s true. At Lake Avenue Baptist Church, LGBT
(lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people serve
openly as participants in worship, in the choirs, as
members of boards and committees, and as teachers
of children, youth, and adults. They come singly, as
couples, and as families with children. How did we
get here? Read the the LABC statement of inclusivity…
Our Statement of Inclusivity
Lake Avenue Baptist Church is committed to an inclusive ministry in every way.
Lake Avenue Baptist Church, founded as a memorial to peace after the Civil War, has a long history of working for peace and justice. In the early 1990s, the congregation began to educate itself on the issue of sexual minorities in our society; and in May, 1995, adopted a statement which reads in part:
Lake Avenue Baptist Church, as a community of God’s people, is called to minister to all people. Our world is often a place where people feel excluded, and are
oppressed, because of a variety of factors, such as race, ethnic background, sexual
orientation, economic circumstance, and other such categories. Christ, however, calls
us to reconciliation and wholeness. This reconciliation extends to all people.
Therefore, we at Lake Avenue Baptist Church pledge ourselves to be open to and
affirming of all persons. All who affirm Christ in their lives are welcome into the
membership of this community of believers, to share fully in its life, leadership, and
ministry. We rejoice in the worth and dignity of every person as a child of God.
At the same time, Lake Avenue voted to join the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists, a national association of Baptist churches and individuals who welcome and affirm the full membership and participation of LGBTQ people in the life of the church. As a member of this national organization, Lake Avenue has been a strong advocate for other American Baptist congregations which have been persecuted for their welcoming position.